Different Now
by Smori
Summary: AU. I don't know how I didn't put the two together. How could I have not? When our eyes met, I automatically knew it was him. So what did I do? I ran, same as I did five years ago. But fate has other plans for me because I can't seem to get away from him.
1. Chapter One

**Summary:** I don't know how I didn't put the two together. How could I have not? When our eyes met, I automatically knew it was him. So what did I do? I ran, same as I did five years ago.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice.

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><p><strong>.<strong>

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**Different Now: Chapter One**

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"Come on, Mikan. You _have_ to come with us." One of my best friends, Anna Umenoyima, pleaded. We, my three best friends and I, were all sitting in our apartment we shared together since right after college. The three of them were trying to convince me to go to some boy band concert tonight.

I sigh, rolling my eyes. "I mean, even Hotaru is going, Mikan. You must." Anna's cousin, Nonoko Ogasawara, said. Anna has long, wavy, bubble-gum pink hair with short bangs cut just above her big cerulean blue eyes. Nonoko has long, straight, navy blue hair with straight-cut bangs and dark, icey blue eyes.

"Please, don't make me go., Hotaru" I said, turning to my last roommate. I give her my famous puppy dog eyes, but they never work on her. I hoped they would this time.

But no. "If I have to go listen to this gay, wanna-be boy band, then you must as well." Hotaru said sternly. I puffed out my cheeks. Hotaru Imai, my best friend since I can remember. We have been together since before we were born; our mothers were best friends just like us, so of course, we grew up together. She has short, jet black hair and beautiful, amethyst colored eyes. She doesn't like them and thinks they are weird, but they are a very attractive trait of hers.

"But I have so much work to do." I say, making up any excuse that I can. Concerts aren't my type of place. I'm more suited for a quiet library with lots of books. Anna and Nonoko are the opposite; both party go-ers and love loud music. I'd much rather sit in my room and read a book or something.

Hotaru and I have known Anna and Nonoko since our first years in high school. Ever since I can remember, they have always had a thing with going to concerts. They get free tickets to this one famous coliseum because Anna's father and Nonoko's father run the place. Lucky for Hotaru and I, that means we get dragged along.

They all stare at me, not believing a word I say. I sigh, a sign of defeat. "Fine. I'll go with you." I mutter, but my last words are drowned out by the cousins' screams of joy.

I am Mikan Sakura. I have long, curly, auburn colored hair with slanted bangs that are getting a little too long right now. I might have to cut them soon. I have caramel colored eyes, my skin is pale, and I'm really short. Like really short. Anna and Nonoko are about five foot seven-eight, Hotaru is five foot six and three-quarters on the dot – she has to have everything precise, and I am stuck at five foot four. I am twenty-seven years old and I haven't grown an inch since the end of middle school. The rest of my body hasn't either. I'm not exactly flat chested, but I don't have Anna's rack either. She's like a D while I'm a low B cup.

Enough of my breast size; I am a writer. I don't exactly have anything published yet, but I really am working on it. I work for a newspaper company in Tokyo, only a twenty minute drive from our apartment. I'm on a secretary, but I work for a really well-known author. I hope one day working under her will get my name know..

Anna is a chef. She has her own cafe right below our apartment, actually. It's one of those places where you can walk into the store, go to the back, walk up the stairs, and be at our front door. It's convenient. Anna and Nonoko run the place. I help out, but only on weekends. Hotaru invented most everything in the place. That's what she does, invents. She is really well-known for her inventions. She has gotten famous so quickly since college. She took a couple semesters and studied abroad in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. And even though she's famous, Hotaru chooses to stay here in Japan with us.

Eight o'clock comes around faster than I would have liked. I was working when the twins, as Hotaru and I call the cousins, came barging into my room yelling at me to get ready. What do you wear to concerts? I mean I've been to plenty, but I never know what to wear. I end up throwing my hair up into a loose pony tail and put on a pair of old dark-washed jean shorts, a baby blue camisole, a black elbow-sleeved cardigan, and my favorite black converse.

"You look cute." Anna said as I walked out of mine and Hotaru's room. She was dressed in a light pink mini skirt, a white tank-top, her favorite green jacket, and a pair of white and pink vans. Nonoko was dressed very similarly, yet her skirt was a jean skirt, and her jacket was dark blue. Hotaru was wearing a pair of tight, black jeans, a black hoodie with the words 'Imai Corp' printed on the back in white letters and topped off with her very own black converse.

"Let's get this night over with." I said softly, sighing again, wondering just how I get myself into these situations.

The Ume-Oga coliseum was packed, as usual. I had no idea who we were going to see, but everyone seemed really excited for whom ever. We get inside after showing off our VIP passes, girls glaring at us as we cut in line, and I see the signs: "I LOVE YOU CF," "CRIMSON FLAME," "I HEART NH," and many others. Crimson Flame. Why does that name sound familiar? Maybe I've heard them on the radio or something.

The four of us reach our front row seats, and I sit. No one else is sitting even though the first twenty rows are all chairs. Hundreds of more screaming fans are behind those rows, all jumping around and dancing. I feel so out of place. Anna is giving me one of her looks. She wants me to stand up and dance, but she should be happy that I even came here.

The group who came on before the main act was good, another boy band. No one seemed to really know who they were though. Probably a local band trying to get famous. I hope they do. They sounded really good. It was about ten when the main performance came out, Crimson Flame. That name still rings in my head, and I can't figure it out.

All of the sudden, the coliseum is black. The lights have been shut off. Everyone is talking quiet, confused. But then, before anything else can happen, the lights flash back on and there are five boys, all about our age, on stage. The crowd goes wild.

There is a dirty blonde haired boy on the drums in the back. Not far from him was a boy with light brown hair, almost dirty blonde, on the keyboard. Up front is three other guys: one bassist and two guitarist. The boy on the bass has silver hair. One of the guitarist has light, honey blonde hair and the other has onyx black hair. The black haired one approaches the microphone. The crowd is going wild, and he hasn't even said a word yet.

He lets a small smile show - thinking the shadow from his hair will hide it, but I can see it - before placing his lips against the microphone, "Hey." He barely whispers. The girls all scream, his name I think, but I don't hear it. He smirks, letting everyone see. It's not the same as his smile from before. "Let's get this party started." He turns around and nods once to the other members. The music starts and so does the dancing yet again.

He starts singing, swaying with the music. He flips his hair out of his face after the first verse and there I see his eyes for the first time. They are crimson colored. I hear hundreds of girls, and maybe even some boys, calling a name. "We love you Natsume!" Natsume.

Then it clicks. I stand up, Anna cheers, thinking I'm going to dance with her and Nonoko. But I just stand there, starring at him. Trying to put the pieces together. He looks down for a moment, barely catching my look. He has to double-take; his eyes widen slightly. Realization hits me faster than a ton of bricks.

"Natsume.." I whisper, my voice muffled by the screams of all Crimson Flame's adoring fans. He sees that I have said his name, and quickly turns away. He returns to singing, continuing with the next verse. Every so often, he would sneak a peak down at me, and I would be there, starring back at him, still in shock.

What are you supposed to do when your standing in a crowd of hundreds of people and your ex-boyfriend is the one on stage singing that everyone is cheering for. Natsume Hyuuga, is his name. He's twenty-eight now, seeing as I'm twenty-seven. He still has the same raven black hair, but it's longer. His eyes, oh his eyes.. That's how I knew it was him. His eyes haven't changed.

My heart is beating so fast. I can't tell if it's from all the excitement with the concert or that I am seeing Natsume for the first time in five years. Why would I be excited to see Natsume after so long? It's not like I still love him or anything. We called things off five years ago because he wanted to go into the music business and I wanted to stay in town and write. Things would have never worked out. It was a mutual agreement..on my part.

Okay, so I broke up with him. He was going to turn down this big once-in-a-life-time experience with his band to tour around Europe as an opener for some big band, and I couldn't let him do that. That was his dream. And looking at the situation I am in now, it looks like everything worked out for him.

I turn to Hotaru, but she's already got her eyes locked on me, filled with worry. She knows it's him too. Without any warning, she grabs my wrist and pulls me through the crowd. I follow, ignoring Anna and Nonoko's cries for us, but never taking my eyes off Natsume. I don't think he did either.

Once outside in fresh air, I let my breath go. I hadn't even realized I was holding it in until then. "He.. He actually made it." I finally said. Natsume made it to the stage. He's famous. How did I not know this?

"Isn't that what you wanted?" Hotaru asked. "For him to go out and follow his dream?"

I pause for a slight second. "Of course, it was. It is. I'm glad for him.. I just.." I just what? I didn't even know.

"You have two choices." She started. "You can ignore him and wait for his band to move on to the next town and never see him again." I really didn't like how that sounded, but wouldn't that be best for me? Best for him? "Or you can use these VIP passes we have to go backstage and talk to him." I grab a hold of the pass around my neck. "But that's saying he even wants to see you. You did break his heart those years ago."

I did.

I hurt the one I loved the most.

But I did it for him, so does that make me a bad person?

Hotaru squeezes my hand, bringing me back to reality. I blink back the tears. "I- I don't know Hotaru." I whisper. "I don't think I can handle seeing him only to be rejected." I fake a laugh. "Plus, it's been years." I say wiping away my tears. "He's probably moved on."

Hotaru stares at me; I know that look. She concerned, but she would never admit it out loud that she has any kind of feelings towards me at all. "Come on, let's go." She says, tugging my hand. "We can go out for a little while and be back by midnight to get the twins." I smile, thanking her quietly. Hotaru might be socially challenged sometimes because she likes to keep to herself, and she might be monstrous and negative towards me, but when she really needs to be, Hotaru can be the best friend ever. And she is.

I don't think I deserve her as my best friend.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary:** I don't know how I didn't put the two together. How could I have not? When our eyes met, I automatically knew it was him. So what did I do? I ran, same as I did five years ago.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice.

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><p><strong>.<strong>

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**Different Now: Chapter Two**

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Anna and Nonoko were upset that Hotaru and I left early. They kept going on about how it must have been fate that the Crimson Flame held Natsume in the band. For a good half an hour, they tried to get me to go back inside too, saying that since we had VIP passes we could still go backstage and meet the band. But I already knew all of them. Drums, Kokoro Yome. Keyboard, Kistune Yome. Bassist, Youichi Hiriji. Guitarist, Ruka Nogi. And singer, Natsume Hyuuga. I even knew who was managing the band, Yuu Tobita.

But when I knew them, they weren't Crimson Flame, one of the most popular bands in the country – maybe the world, what did I know anymore? - they were just a small town, local high school and then college band. Back then they went by many names, always changing it every time they thought of something cooler. Crimson Flame had been the one band name I picked out..

Back at our apartment, I sulked in my room, door locked. Anna and Nonoko apologized for bringing me along. Apparently, they knew who was preforming and decided to try and play match maker with my ex-boyfriend and I. But I also knew that they had their own reasons for going. Anna had a crush on Yuu, or Iinchou as we called him through high school, since freshman year when we all met up. The same was with Nonoko and Kistune, or Kitsu. No one really knows why they never dated.. but I'm glad that they never had to have their heart broken like I did.. even if it was my own fault.

I sat in my room, trying to write. I couldn't concentrate. So I tried to read a book. I couldn't keep focus on any of the words. So I put up all the pens, the paper, and the books and laid down on my bed. I rest my head on my pillow and grabbed my remote. Turning on the television, I sighed. It was really late, almost two-thirty in the morning now. Nothing would be on, but I still flipped from channel to channel, looking for something to distract me.

I stopped on the news channel when I heard those two words; Crimson Flame. They were all over the news. Their picture of all six of them, including Yuu, was all over the place. When the news channel started to play _his_ music, I couldn't take it anymore. I shut the television off quickly, tossed the remote to the end of my bed, and hopped out of bed. I slipped my feet into a pair of flip flops, grabbed my jacket, and headed out for some fresh air, not caring that I was only in my pajamas shorts and a tank top.

The fresh air did me some good. I was able to clear my head and for the first time that day and not think about.. him. I found myself at the playground only a couple minute walk from my apartment complex. In the day time, it was crowded and packed full of screaming kids. Now, completely quiet and empty, it reminded me of the old days. My college years. Back when Natsume and I-

And the air didn't help. Everything reminded me of him now.

I sat down on a swing and sighed, kicking the dirt beneath me. This playground reminded me of the one by our old college where we used to hang out all the time. Natsume used to call me childish for sneaking out late with him and bringing him to a playground of all places. I found it calm, collecting, and cute. I used to sit with him on the swings holding hands or sit in the tubes and just lay together or lie on the grass and stare up at the stars.

My eyes wondered up, gazing at the brightened sky. Tokyo's sky was hard to see the stars at night with all the florescent lights on at all times and such, but I could just picture the night sky back at college. I missed that place so much. It held most of the precious memories. I missed all of my friends, though I did move in with three of them; here were still lots I didn't talk to anymore.

Like those six for example.

I spent most of my childhood and my life with Hotaru, Natsume, and Ruka. Not having Natsume and Ruka in my life was..upsetting. It was depressing. I was depressed without them in my life. They were more than half of my life. I truly, deeply missed them, but what could I do? I gave them up a long time ago.

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I had never done something like that on stage before. I almost lost it – almost lost myself. I almost jumped off the stage and followed her, afraid to lose her again. And I did lose her. How could I let her slip through my fingers like that? She was right there. Right in front of me. Close enough that I could have grabbed on and never let go. Not this time.

Seeing Mikan in the front row of my concert, well, I didn't expect it. And judging by the look in her eyes, she hadn't been expecting me either. Then Hotaru had to but in and drag Mikan away. The first time I see her in five years, and there is nothing I can do. I can't run after her and tell her how much I have missed her. Or how I still think about her every single day. Or that she never left my mind.

I couldn't even talk to her. I didn't get a chance to. Not even to say hello.

I don't think anyone else in the band seemed to notice the girls in the front row; I saw Anna and Nonoko there as well. If Ruka had seen Hotaru, he sure was good at hiding it. The two of them dated back in high school until the third year of college. Last year of college they stayed just friends, but it was always awkward for Ruka, never for Hotaru. Though nothing was ever awkward for Hotaru. And Mikan and I started dating summer before our junior year in high school and we broke up the last year of college.

Well, she broke up with me.

I still remember that day like it was yesterday. It was in fact, and still is, the worst day of my life.

A week prior to that day, the band was offered a big touring opportunity. We were ready to turn it down, not wanting to leave everyone behind, but out friends, the girls, convinced us to go. So we signed the contract. But I was ready to leave the band for Mikan. I was going to be with her no matter what it took.

Then she told me she didn't love me anymore.

At first, I thought she was lying just to get my to go and not turn down this chance, but she was serious. I had never seen Mikan so serious before in my life. She told me that she was planning on breaking up with me anyways, and that it wouldn't be fair to wait till after I turned down the tour to tell me.

So the six of us packed up and left. For the first year or so Koko, Kitsu, and Yuu kept in touch with Anna and Nonoko, and Youichi did his best to keep in touch with Hotaru, my cousin, and Mikan, his cousin. But everyone eventually lost contact. We were always busy, never having time for phone calls anymore or to write back letters, and it seemed they got tired of waiting.

And one day the letters and phone calls just stopped. It was as if they didn't exist anymore.

I wish we'd kept in contact, but after college ended, nothing was the same. It seemed like everything had changed. We went from playmates in elementary school to friends in middle school to best friends in high school and for some, even lovers in college. So how do you just drop someone who's been in almost your entire life?

I myself had never been that close with Anna or Nonoko, but they had been in Koko, Kitsu, and Yuu's life since elementary school like that of Mikan, Hotaru, Ruka's and mine. Then we all met in high school and became one of the best group of friends you could ask for.

And sadly, the best eight years of my life slipped away in just a week.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary:** I don't know how I didn't put the two together. How could I have not? When our eyes met, I automatically knew it was him. So what did I do? I ran, same as I did five years ago.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice.

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><p><strong>.<strong>

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**Different Now: Chapter Three**

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I walked out of the elevator onto the twelfth floor at work like I did every Monday through Friday and there he was. Not only had he intruded his way into my head and my dreams – not something I want to talk about – but he was now at my work. His pictures were up on everyone's walls. To add to that, his picture singing into the mic was front page on Alice Weekly.

Joy.

I take my seat at my desk, trying to ignore all the talks of _him_. "Did you go to Crimson Flame's performance this weekend?" I hear behind me. I didn't need to turn around to know who was talking. Her name is Sumire Shouda, one of co-workers. Her voice is so distinct I could pick it out anywhere. She has long, curly, dark brown hair – which I'm sure is permed, but she says it's all natural – with big, forest green eyes.

"Oh course, I did!" Her best friend and co-worked, Wakako Usami, replied. "Ruka Nogi is so gorgeous." She said dreamily.

Sumire scoffed. "Ruka Nogi? Are you blind, Wakako? Koko Yome is better than Ruka Nogi. Natsume Hyuuga is the main attraction. He is so hot." She made a giggle sound. She said his name. I grunted. I wanted to bang my head against my computer or my filing cabinet. "The things I would do to him if I could get my hands on him." I gagged mentally. I wondered what she would do if she knew that I had been his first lover.

You see, Sumire and I don't exactly get along. She only sees me as a secretary and that I should stay at my desk and never move, even though her best friend Wakako is also a secretary. Sumire might have a better job, she is an editor for my boss and Alice Weekly, but our paychecks are the same. I was actually offered the job as editor, unknown to her, but I kindly turned it down. Editor wasn't the job I wanted. I wanted to be the author.

"Did you say something, Sakura?" Also, our desks just happen to be right beside each other. I thought I made that gagging noise silent. I turned around, raising an eyebrow at her. "Yeah, I thought so. You probably don't even know who Natsume Hyuuga is." Oh, if she only knew.

I played along. "Yes, Shouda, you are so right. I have no clue who anyone is, right?" She grinned in triumph.

I turned away from her when I heard a door open. There was only one real office on this floor which belonged to Tsubasa Andou, author and chief here at Alice Weekly. "Ladies, why are we not working?" He is the big man on top, the man who runs everything here at Alice Weekly. And I have the privilege of being his personal secretary. He has shaggy dark blue hair and darker blue eyes. He smiles at me, and I kindly smile back.

Sumire pulls her best smile, acting as if she wasn't doing anything wrong. "Sakura here was talking to me and distracting me from work. I apologies, sir." Sumire said taking her seat. Wakako then too walked away – she worked on the other side of the floor.

"That's fine, Shouda. Back to work on that Crimson Flame paper, would you?." She nodded, a smile still on her face. "Sakura, can you come here for a moment?" He called to me.

Once in his office, he sat me down across from him. "I want you to write an article for me." My eyes lit up. My first piece of work that would be published – even if it wasn't a book. "Do you know anything about this band, Crimson Flame?" And just like that, my heart dropped. I think he noticed it too; the look on my face must have given it away. He gave me a worried look, but he pushed it aside. Work came first before friendship. "I thought this was what all you kids listened to now adays?"

I furrowed my brows together. "Sir, I am not a kid. I am twenty-seven years old." I pointed out. He was always calling us kids because he was forty-one, though he didn't look a day over thirty. "And, yes, I know some of the band."

He smiled. "Good. Good. We have an interview with the band this afternoon. Our journalist, Nobara Ibaragi, is out sick this week. We need someone fast. You are a writer, as well as one of my most trusted employees. I believe you told me when I hired you four years ago that you wanted to be an author one day. Well, everyone starts with something. So I was wondering if you would like to interview Crimson Flame and write an article for Alice Weekly."

I had to really think about this. This could be a big step for my writing, but this also meant seeing Natsume. And the other guys. Could I do that? "I don't think so, Sir-"

"What?" He asked, bewildered. "Any of those other girls would jump at this opportunity. I picked you because I know you have talent, Sakura." I bit my lip, thinking real hard. "Of course, if this isn't your calling-"

"It's not that, sir." I interrupted. "It just.." Could I tell him? He has been my boss and my friend for four years now. I met him through his wife, Misaki Harada Andou. When I was a freshman in college, she was thirty-two years old and helping with the creative writing class. We became really good friends, only hanging out at school really. But when I graduated, she told me about this job opening that her husband had. "It's the band, sir."

"The band?" He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

I bit my lip again. "You see, sir, the lead singer and I have.. well, a history."

His eye widened. "That's genius, Sakura!" I stayed silent, not sure what he meant. "Imagine the news and publicity we could get. The reaction the band would give when you showed up to interview them. You could tell us everything about them."

"Sir, I don't know about that. No one really knows that I dated hi-"

"You want your name known, right?" I stopped. This wasn't the way to go about it, I knew, but it would get my name know. _Natsume Hyuuga's ex-girlfriend, Mikan Sakura, aspiring author.._ "People might think, 'oh, she dated Natsume Hyuuga. I wanna read her book'. It's what you need."

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"Nobara Ibaragi?" Koko asked looking at the sheet of paper that he snatched out of his brother's hands. This was the woman coming to interview us, Crimson Flame.

"Yeah, Yuu says she's one of the best journalists in Japan. She works for Alice Weekly." Kitsu said swiping the piece of paper back and handing it to Yuu. Everyone knew Alice Weekly, Japan's largest newspaper company, own by Tsubasa Andou and his wife. "No slander, right? This will just be simple questions and answers?"

"Of course." Yuu said adjusting his glasses. "What do you guys take me for?" He said with a smile. "And after the Q&A, we have to get on the bus and head out to London." And then Yuu left, to get the journalist, I guess.

How could I even think about leaving in four hours when I knew Mikan was in Alice. I wanted to see her again. I wanted to ask her how her life was and what she's doing now adays. I wonder if she ever got into writing like she wanted to. That's what she majored in – English. She minored in creative writing.

"Natsume?" I heard my named called. When I turned, the whole band was starring at me. "You okay?" Ruka asked, raising an eyebrow at me. "You never space out like that." I only nod in response. Ruka looks hesitance for a moment, but didn't say anything else. He never said anything to me, or did anyone else, about the girls in the front row, so I can only guess that don't know about them being there last night.

"I wonder if she's hot." Koko blurted. We all glare at him. "What? It's not like I've got a girlfriend or anything." He said with a grin. "I was just thinking, I wonder if she's a Crimson Flame fan. Maybe one of the drummer?" He says playfully.

"I highly doubt that." Youichi spoke softly, but harsh. Koko pouted, and Kitsu put his hand on his brother's shoulder for sympathy.

"Let's just hope she's nice." Ruka said with a big smile. Naive as ever. Reporters and journalists only ever want one thing: to take what you say and turn it around into what they want to hear. That's why I plan on staying quiet this whole conversation. I won't say a word to this woman.

Yuu walked back inside, reading another sheet of paper. "Seems Nobara Ibaragi is sick."

"Does that mean no Q&A?" Kitsu asked, almost hopeful.

Yuu shook his head. "Alice Weekly is sending a back-up. I didn't get a name, but Andou is sending her personally. He says she is one of his best." He shrugs re-reading what I guess was an e-mail.

"C-Crimson Flame." A voice came from the door. It was Yuu's secretary, Yura Otonashi. She was only eighteen, straight out of high school. I don't know why Yuu hired her. She's a major fan girl, but I guess she gets her job done. She blushes, not looking anyone except Yuu. She doesn't actually see us except for Yuu now that I think about it. "Th-there is a young lady down stairs waiting for you."

"Let her in." Yuu said smiling at the girl.

She nodded, a small smile hidden in her flushed face. "I do hope this girl is hot." Koko whispered to his brother who smacked him gently on the arm, muttering for him to cut it out.

Youichi rolled his eyes at the drummer. "Act your age, Yome." Koko pouted playfully.

There was a knock at the door. "Come in." Yuu called out. I don't know what I expected our journalist to look like, but I did not expect this: a girl, a rather short girl, wearing a short, gray woman's trench coat with black leggings tucked neatly into her ankle boots. That seemed rather normal, but to add to it, she had on black sunglasses, a red scarf, and a black beanie hiding her auburn hair. It wasn't that cold out. Why did she look ready for a snow storm?


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary:** I don't know how I didn't put the two together. How could I have not? When our eyes met, I automatically knew it was him. So what did I do? I ran, same as I did five years ago.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice.

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><p><strong>.<strong>

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**Different Now: Chapter Four**

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I looked at the six of them from behind my sunglasses. Was my get-up necessary, no. But I didn't want to take the chance of them recognizing me. I saw Natsume on stage this weekend; he saw me. It didn't take long for him to realize. I'm sure he would eventually tell this was me too, but I had to get this interview for Andou and for myself. "Hello, you must be the journalist the Andou sent, Ibaragi." Yuu said shaking my hand. I smiled at him. That's right, Nobara Ibaragi. That's who they thought was interviewing them.

"Not much for words are you." Koko asked raising an eyebrow. "Or looks." He whispered the last part, but not very quietly. Kistu nudged him, giving him a look.

I coughed, trying to adjust me voice. "Ah, you see, everyone is pretty much sick at work right now." I sounded weird even to myself. "This is precaution so I don't get any of you all sick." I hope I sound somewhat sick. I was never one for acting. Natsume could always see through my lies.

"Oh, that's very thoughtful." Yuu said with a big smile. I looked around the room, taking in what everyone looked like now. None of them had changed much in the five years. Yuu still looks like his old, geeky-yet-cute self, but older. Kistu's hair was shorter that it used to be - it makes him look a lot older and handsome. Koko's hair still looks as shaggy and untamed as always which had always been a good look on him. Youichi, my little cousin, still as neat as ever with his hair and the was he dresses. Ruka has grown his hair out, for the rocked look, I think. He looked really nice. I couldn't help smiling at him. Then I turned to Natsume, gorgeous as ever.

Why did I agree to this? How am I supposed to sit here with Natsume for an hour?

Right, publicity. My name needs to be known. Or so Andou says. And my boss knows best. He and his wife are very famous, while I am not. If I get this interview, maybe I can be. The girl who dressed up in a ridiculous outfit as to not be recognized by her ex-boyfriend who is in fact the famous Natsume Hyuuga.

Yuu shifted uneasily. I hadn't realized how quiet I was until he brought me back from my thoughts. "Shall we get started?" I nod, and we all take our seats.

I use my fake, scruffy voice again. "I have questions for each of your separately and as a grou-"

"You seem very familiar." Youichi blurted. I froze. He couldn't have caught on, right? I mean, it's been five years since he's seen me. Plus, I've been in the same room with him for like a minute? Unless Natsume told the band about me being at the concert. But that still wouldn't let him assume it's me. Then again, he is my little cousin. We have known each other since birth.

"That's preposterous." I say, hoping no one catches on. That would be slightly awkward for myself. I'm not even sure where I would begin to explain this sitation. "I would remember meeting with you all before today." I give out a nervous laugh. Youichi raises a single eyebrow, but says nothing else. "As I was saying, I have questions for each of you separately and as a group." I sat the notebook I carried in with me on my lap. I opened to a black page, getting out a pen. "I'm going to start with the group questions; they can be answered by any of you or none at all." Three of the five band mates nod. "Are any of you in a relationship?" Natsume lets out a scoff – that would be my first question. As a true journalist, I would have never started to blunt, but I wanted them to think other of me.

"No, none of us are." Ruka answered. I jotted that down.

Koko stopped me. "Well, technically, Youichi has a-" Natsume and Youichi both sent the boy a death glare. I pretended I hadn't noticed, tilting my head at Koko. He just apologized, and asked me to continue. I knew exactly what he was going to say. Youichi and Aoi Hyuuga, Natsume's little sister, have been best friends since Natsume and I had. And long before Natsume and I dated, so did Youichi and Aoi, though you could never tell around them. They kept it secret from our families for a long time, saying they were just friends. That was until I caught them making out on Aoi's bed. I don't really know if they are together to this day, but judging from Youichi and Natsume's reaction, I'm guessing so.

I continue, "Did you always want to be a musician?" Natsume and Youichi stay quiet, as I suspected they would. Both seemed to be starring at me intensely. It was rather nerve-racking.

"I wanted to be an astronaut when I was younger." Koko half-joked with a grin. I wrote that down, not sure if it would come in handy, but I was asked to write everything down.

"He's totally kidding." Kitsu kindly pointed out. "When he was younger, he actually wanted to be teacher." I raise an eyebrow – that was something I never knew. "It last through about elementary school, but then our mother got him a drum set." He cringed at the memory. "After that, music was everything. To him and to me."

"I wanted to be a veterinarian." Ruka said shyly. I already knew this. Ruka had been offered two or three scholarships to veterinarian school, but kindly turned them down. He couldn't leave his friends in the band. Of course, he never told me – the girl standing in front of him – all of this, so I could not write that all down. I just wrote what he said.

I tapped my pen on my notebook. I had gotten through the group and most of my other questions. The only one I hadn't talked to directly was Natsume – and I did that on purpose. I was kinda of hoping that after the group interview that he might just get up and leave. Sadly, that did not happen. So I decided I would pretend that I forgot about him. "Well, seems we are all done here." I said collecting my papers. Yuu smiled, putting his hand out for me to shake it. I smiled, pointed to my mask, and apologized. As we were all saying goodbyes, _he_ spoke up.

"You didn't ask me any questions, Ibaragi." I winced behind my sunglasses. He was still sitting down in his chair, starring at me. He hadn't caught on had he? The rest of the group turned to him real quickly, seeming confused by his words, then to me.

I took a deep breath. All eyes were on me. "Oh, well, I figured you wouldn't be up to it, Hyuuga."

"Obviously, you don't know me, do you?" His voice was so emotionless, almost harsh. He couldn't know it was me. I haven't done anything to give myself away.

I stumbled over my words, trying to figure out what to say. "She was probably trying to avoid this, Natsume." Ruka said glaring at his best friend. "She probably knew what you are like and didn't want to be snapped at." He rolled his eyes, then looked at me with an apologetic look in his eyes. "And she's sick."

"You are free to leave whenever, Ibaragi." Yuu said standing up. He opened the door for me, and smiled. "I hope you feel better, as well as everyone at your firm. Please get better, and I can't wait to read what your write in the paper."

And with that, I was gone. I didn't stick around. It was almost too close.

Once in my car, I lost the mask and the hat and the sunglasses. I let out a sigh of relief. It was so awkward in that room with everyone. I was so scared that he was going to catch on. At the end there, I was sure something was going to happen. Luckily Ruka and Yuu saved me.

Back at work in Tsubasa's office, he was please. "You did good, Sakura." He praised me. "Nobara will be proud. I want you to write up a draft of everything that happened in there. Give it to me by tomorrow morning. Nobara will be back by then and review your work. She will edit it anywhere needed, and by the following day your first article will be in the papers."

I couldn't help but smile. I kept picture opening the newspaper to find _Mikan Sakura_ written under an article. This was my first real article. Sure I had written others, but nothing had ever been published. I was a secretary for crying out loud. No one would read an article about nothing by a nobody. Everyone would read an interview with Crimson Flame though, no matter who wrote it.

Trying to write the actual article came to be more difficult that going to the interview. I couldn't concentrate with Anna and Nonoko singing karaoke in the living room on the play station. It was rather obnoxious. I didn't want to tell them to stop because that would mean I would have to tell them I was writing an article for work which would lead to them being happy for me, asking why and about what which would lead to them possibly being upset or mad at me for meeting with the guys after such a long time. Either way, I wasn't going to tell them.

I skipped dinner, locking myself in my room away from my house mates. Luckily, when they know my door is locked, it means I am deep in thought writing. I stare down at my laptop in front of me. It was less than half way done. Unfortunately, it was also one in the morning, and I still am not done with my article that was due in less than six hours.

In my article, was I supposed to say that I dated Natsume? I wasn't sure how to say everything. Sure I'd written many stories and articles, but for myself. No one actually saw them. Everyone would be reading this. I had to chose my words carefully and make sure every word was correct.

I glance over at myself in the mirror. This is so unlike me. My hair is up in a loose ponytail, my makeup is smeared, and I even have my glasses on. I look like utter shit in my opinion. I rub under my eyes, trying to remove some of the makeup. I need sleep, but I cannot until this is done. But how am I supposed to write this article when I cannot get him out of my mind? I stand up, grab my university hoodie and make my way quietly out the apartment. When I cannot think, fresh air tends to help.

Even though it's summer, it still gets chilly here at night. I sink down into my hoodie as the cool breeze hits the back of my neck. I make my way to the play ground and find myself on one of the swings. I close my eyes, thinking back to the interview. I had thought for sure Natsume caught onto me at the end. He wouldn't normally talk to anyone the way he had, unless he changed.

It was weird because part of me actually wanted him to notice me and call me out on my disguise. Because then that meant something – like he was still looking for me, right? Something like that.


End file.
